Valley Interfaith Event to Celebrate Martin Luther King Day

The San Fernando Interfaith Council will feature Christian and Muslim speakers, Hindu and Jewish performing arts and other events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday at Cal State Northridge.

The event, “2000: Same Dream, New Voices,” will showcase the Valley Hindu Temple Dancers, Cantor Patty Linsky of Temple Ahavat Shalom, the Interfaith Choir, the San Fernando Garden Project Drill Team and others. The Rev. Jack Hayford, senior pastor of the Church on the Way in Van Nuys, and Salam Al-Marayati of the Muslim Public Affairs Council will speak.

In addition, local youths will be honored with the Mayor Tom Bradley Award for their contributions to the community. The event begins at 7 p.m. (818) 718-6460, Ext. 3002.

EVENTS

A six-part course on how Judaism can help promote a more fulfilling life will begin at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Conejo Jewish Academy, 30345 Canwood St., Agoura Hills. Topics will include birth, childhood, home, family, faith and work. (818) 991-0991.

* The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is co-sponsoring a seminar for synagogue musicians and Torah readers today through Monday at its Los Angeles campus, 3077 University Ave. Designed to help organists, musicians and others acquire Judaic knowledge and broaden their musical skills, the seminar will feature such topics as High Holiday liturgy, solo repertoire and repertoire for volunteer choirs. (310) 377-6988.

* A workshop on divine reading known as lectio divina, an ancient Christian prayer tradition using scriptural texts as conversation topics, will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday. The seminar will be held at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Road, Encino. (818) 784-4515.

* Bishop Serapion of the Coptic (Egyptian) Christian Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles and Southern California will lead a prayer service for Christians recently killed in El Kusheh, Egypt, at noon today at St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, 4900 Cleland Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 258-5555.

* The Rev. Jim Lawson, a leading figure in the 1960s civil rights movement and a confidant of the late Martin Luther King Jr., will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Galileo Hall on the Harvey Mudd College campus at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Dartmouth Avenue in Claremont. Free.

* Supporters of last year’s blessing by nearly 70 United Methodist pastors of a “holy union” of a lesbian couple will mark the couple’s first anniversary from 1 to 2:30 p.m. today at Sacramento Memorial Auditorium at J and 15th streets in Sacramento. The blessing attracted nationwide attention last year and has resulted in church proceedings against the 68 ministers. A church public hearing to determine if the clergy should be tried for violating church law is scheduled for Feb. 1-3 in Fairfield, Calif.

PERFORMANCES

A recital of song and piano featuring the works of Richard Strauss, Robert Schumann and Samuel Barber will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul, 840 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles. Mezzo-soprano Amber Lee Smith and pianist John Ballerino will perform. A donation of $10 is requested. (213) 482-2040, Ext. 205.

* A Sabbath eve musical worship service presented by 40 synagogues across America will premiere at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Temple Avahat Shalom, 18200 Rinaldi Place, Northridge. The performance, corresponding to the Sabbath of Song, will feature cantors and children’s choruses singing to a CD-ROM of orchestral and choral accompaniment. The technology marks a new direction in Jewish musical worship. (818) 360-2258.

* Composers Ensemble Los Angeles will present a free concert at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday at Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. A sandwich buffet is available for $3. (626) 793-2191.